Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-05-14
QUACKS OF OLD.
Surgeon General Hamilton Tells AbOu,
Some Notable Cases.

| surgeon General Hamilton Tells About
| Some Notable Cases.
| FAMOUS CHARLATANs WHO HAVE FLoURIsHED-DR.
| GRAHAMs TEMPLE OF HEALTH"-THEOsoPHY AND
| MIND-CURING-DIFFERENTF FORMS OF QUACKERY.
| The charlatan lives for himself, said Dr. John
B. Hamilton, Surgeon-General OF the Marine Hos
ptal service his address to the graduates OF the
| medical department Of the University of George
| town, at their commencement last Monday night.
| He affects to despise the labors Of the past,
| although he daily makes use OF their fruits. He
arrugates to himself knowledge superior to every
one of his time, and especial superiority over his
associates; but he takes care never to add
anything to the general stock OF medical informa-
ton, by divugng any OF the great secrets Of which
he alone Is the possessor. These characteristics
have belonged to the charlatan in all ages. so far
as contemporary history has lirnned his portrait
There Is one difference between the ancient and
modern charlatan, and that is, that owing to the
existing state OF science and the many morbid pro-
cesseS unknown generally, the ancient Quack was
frequently able to stumble On some physiological
fact or especial line OF treatment.
EAkLY oUACK.
Asclepiades, who 1ourtshed in the first century
of the Christian era, may be taken primal
type Of the charlatan. He treated the writings Of
medicine he nicknamed ''Study of Death" He
rejected publicly the various classes OF medicines
but he handed down his name to pOsterity by ap-
plying the atomic theory then prevailing In phys
les TO mediclnt, and he founded medical school
AstrolOgy, theosophy, and uranoScopy were later
variations, and it Is not little curious that we
stiIl see advertisements announcing that such
andsucn 70, person casts naties and treats cases
UranOscOpy seems to have been survival Of the
ancient Pagan custom OF divination nom 1nspec-
tons OF the tissues OF freshly killed animals, for
as that custom finally was overthrUwn by the In
crease OF knowledge 1t was deemed necessary 10
come somewhere near the human BODY ID ascer-
tanning its condition. During the reign Of Justin
Ian 1ndigntt1eS were everywhere heaped upon the
followers or rational medicine. The medical school
at Athens was destroyed, and throughout the
Roman empire legitimate medicine and the study
OF anatomy was Suppressed-So lar as Official
orders could do it.
LAYING ON OF HANDS.
charms, relics and superstitions of all Sorts mean
tatiOnS and the like, were the means resorted to
for the cure OF disease and the prevention OF cpl
denies. 1t was then that the Arabian schools
sprung up through the influence or the HISTORIANS
and legitimate medicine was transferred TO the
Arabs. 1t was the age Of Intolerance; the slight
est differences between Christians gave rise TO
interneeine feuds and bloody wars, and when
Rome was Overrun by the barbarianS nearly every
vestige OF medical learning based upon anatomy
was extinguished In Europe.
The eccleSiaStics then took up the study In
secret, and nearly thousand years elapsed before
the truths OF medical science were again brought
forward
The Arch-quaek Paracelsus did the world some
service by reviv1Dg interest in chemistry and over
throwing alchemy. His general style has seldom
Suacks With an the aid that the Of e letters
give them. His real name was HOhenheim, and he
was born in Zurich, but as soon as
eject Of chemicals ON the human body
he imagined himself the wisest OF mankind
and gave himself the name, by which he has since
TheOphratuS BomOaSGuS Paracelsus. He was, the
speaker said, a drunken scoundrel, but then, as
now there were hundreds OF men who viewed this
habit as an undoubted evidence OF genius OF the
highest order. He claimed that reading never
made ply stefan, that countries are the leaves
upon which natures laws are written and patients
are my only books 1t should be remembered to
the credit OF Paracesus that at this time the gem
eral habit OF the medicaSterS Ofthe day was TO put
very little medical truth in vast deal OF astrol-
Ogy and SO-called climatology, by which each
hour was assigned particular force ON each Or
gan OF the BODY, according to the decision OF the
horoscope. Among the Chinese at this period, and
perhaps long previously, this belief was universal
The sign most important to observe was the posi-
ton OF the moon. when that romantic satellite
was found in the sign OF Cancer, then was the time
to give medicines with the greatest effect, and her
use of medicines by rendering them nugatory,
especially purgativeS.
THEOSOPHY.
Theosophy, with its mind cures and the mystic
rites OF the ROsicrucans seems almost to reach the
extreme limit OF absurdity. This singular sect
was Instituted by Father Rosenkreutz, in Germany,
early In the fourteenth century. The exact date is
unknown and although their existence was known
at the time, they seem TO have well preserved their
secrets. They, however, became almost extinct
until the year 1915 when the society was revived.
and printing being general their secrets were no
longer kept. The neOphytes swore fidelity, prom
ised absolute secrecy and wrote in hieroglyphics.
The believed that the secret philosophy OF the
Egyptians, the mag1 OF Persia, gymnosoph1stS and
BrahminS OF India, and all ancient oriental lore,
was embodied In their teaching. They also claimed,
In imitation OF the Masonic fraternity, that much
solomon to King Hiram at the construction OF the
temple. 1t is probable that many golden grains Of
truth were contained in the doctrines OF oriental
lism but these were for the most part the sheerest
nonsense.
1t is one OF the duties OF the medical profession
to set their faces against these superstitions and
denOunce them.
HOW WAR PROMOTES MEDICAL SCIENCE.
It is somewhat singular, DR.. Hamilton said, that
the art Of Wharf.-The science Of destroying man.
kind-has been preservative OF legitimate medi-
cine. Each commander, while anxious TO destroy
his enemy, Is quite as anxious to preserve the
yigor OF his own force; consequently we find that
armies have early made effort to eliminate the
charatans from their medical stan. The pages
OF history glow with accounts OF the exploits OF
particular charlatans, but singulariy enough, al
though large proportion OF the human family
seem to love dearly TO be humbugged they seldom
like to mention 1t after they have experienced the
consequences OF their folly.
NOTED QCACK.
One Of the most noted Quacks OF the last CEN
tury was certain DR.. Graham, who was grad
uate Of Edinburgh, and settled IN London in 17Ss,
Practice opened very slowly IOr the doctor and he
established himself in Pail Mali mansion, which
he named the Temple OF Health" He covered
the front OF the building with embems OF hygeia
and an enormous gilt sun. The interior rooms
were superbly furnished; the walls were covered
with mirrors, candelabra, with gilded and tinsel
mOuntings; birds sang in unexpected corners,
plants lent their fragrance TO the air. and the
enchanted palaces of the east We're sought 10 be
reproduced. Here this interesting person de-
livered lectures On health at the rather eXtraya-
CANT price OF two guiDeaS each; this price to-
gether With the novelty OF his subject and the
elegance OF his apartments, drew together large
audiences Of the wealthy and disSipated class.
He entertained female OF beautiful figure, whom
he called the goddess OF health; and IL was her
business 10 deliver a concluding discourse.
AS a further means OF attraction Dir. Graham
hired two giants, provided with enormous cooked
hats, and with SNOWY and bulky nveries whose
business it was to distribute bills from house to
house. But his twO-guinea auditors became ex
hausted and he dropped tn price OF his lectures
10 one guinea-one-half guinea-fve ShingS-and
finally 10 half crown, aid when this failed he
exhibited the temple itself.
This talented individual also discovered an elixir
OF life, whereby person taxing 1t might live as long
as he pleased, and he demanded one thousand
pounds for supply OF II, and more than one
nobleman paid the price. These barefaced swindleS
after time became known and he had to resort
TO earth or mud bathing. Both he and the god
deSs allowed themselves 10 be exhibited while i'm
merSed In earth TO the chin.